Ash Garnder’s heroics have shattered England’s hopes of regaining the women’s Ashes hanging by a thread after suffering a heavy 86-run defeat by Australia in the third and final ODI of the Women’s Ashes 2025 in Hobart.
The hosts slipped to 59-4 as England’s bowlers dominated the early stages, but Ash Gardner’s 102 and half-centuries from Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath led a sensational recovery to helm them post 208-8.
Megan Schutt’s 3/57 handed Australia a strong start with the ball before King’s 5/46 and Wareham’s 2/27 combined to roll through England for 222 runs in the 43rd over.
The win gives Australia a 6-0 lead in the points-based series with just two more needed to retain the Ashes.
Outrageous stuff from Ashleigh Gardner! That’s an all-timer #Ashes #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/uVl7zsLR8p
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 17, 2025
England will need to win all three T20Is and the day-night test at the MCG if they are to reclaim the trophy. However, England found themselves giving up a position of strength as Australia showed their dominance.
England’s pursuit could not have started on a worse note when aia Bouchier was dismissed by Schutt for a duck in the opening over.
Heather Knight also departed cheaply again to Schutt, leaving England wobbling at 2/29.
Wareham’s introduction to bowling in the 25th over has foreseen the dismissal of Beaumont’s leg stump, then repeated the dose to clean bowl Sciver Brunt.
Despite the top order failures, Gardner added a 95 run for the fifth wicket with Mooney and 103 for the sixth with McGrath who smashed 55 from 45 balls.
It was perfectly paced innings to set up Georgia Wareham, who was making her first appearance in the series in favour of seamer Darcie Brown, to finish the innings with 12-ball 38 runs as England conceded 104 from their final 10 overs.
England’s kept pace with Australia’s innings throughout their chase, with 120 requires from the final 15 overs, but the final six wickets were blown away for 22 runs through a combination of sensational fielding and relentless accuracy with the ball.
The T20 series will begin on Monday 20 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.